Bernard Cole, a US naval historian, has written a balanced, detailed and thoughtful study of one of the world's most complicated and dangerous maritime areas. Stretching from the Kamchatka Peninsula all the way to the Persian Gulf, the Asian maritime space presents a range of strategic challenges, including territorial disputes, pirate attacks and terrorist threats. Cole examines the maritime strategies of four major powers with interests in this space: the United States, Japan, China and India. While each power's maritime strategy is primarily designed to defend the homeland and vital national security interests on the oceans and seas, safeguarding each nation's ability to use the maritime commons is an additional goal. These 'commons' are defined as the Pacific and Indian Oceans (and any associated seas, bays and gulfs), along with the sea lines of communication that traverse these waters.
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